The Golden Cactus Ranch
The white van moved down the road with the black sedans behind it and Annie strummed her fingers on the steering wheel.
"Guess we're going to have to get used to having them around," Diego said as he leaned his head against the back of the seat.
"Not if Murphy an' I leave," Connor said and Annie nearly slammed her foot down on the break.
"You're not gojn' anywhere," Annie growled with her accent.
"She's right. They'd be on you in a hot second," Lisa said while she turned in the seat to look back at Connor.
"And we'd go with you if you do leave," Darcy said.
"When you say we…," Murphy said and she turned on the seat to look deeply in his eyes. "Do you mean you, Ebony an' th'kids?"
"Yes."
"That goes for me and the boys, too," Lisa said.
Connor and Murphy looked at each other as they had a silent conversation and Connor saw the tears in Murphy's eyes.
"That goes for us, too. Ma said we're all supposed to run if things get rough," Annie reminded them.
"Christ," Connor whispered.
"Lord's name," Murphy said and Connor nodded.
The white van pulled onto the road which led to the drive and the black sedans came to a stop.
"Looks like we lost our escort," Annie said.
"Guess they're going to set up a spot where they can watch us," Diego said.
Annie steered the white van down the drive as Connor and Murphy watched the farmhouse appearing over the horizon and they smiled. Annie parked the white van near the stairs as she turned the engine off and they opened the doors. Connor and Murphy held onto the metal canes after Murphy placed on the sunglasses and Diego looked back at the ranch hands.
"Never asked. What happened to Hank?" Diego asked.
"Don't know," Annie said.
"Lou sent out a search party for him," Lisa said.
"Did you find someone t'replace him?" Connor asked.
"Yeah. He's over there," Darcy said and Connor, Diego and Murphy looked at the young man with blonde hair and green eyes. He wore cowboy boots, jeans, a red and white checkered shirt and a tan cowboy hat.
"Did you check him out?" Diego asked.
"Yeah. He's clean," Lisa said then she frowned. "Why?"
"Hang on," he said and he made a small whistle. Kenny and Jeff ran to him as they stood in front of him and they smiled.
"Welcome home, Boss," Kenny said.
"Yeah. Welcome home," Jeff said then looked at Connor and Murphy. "What the hell are they doing here?"
"We live here," Connor said.
"Not for long," Kenny said.
"What does that mean?" Murphy asked as he held tightly onto the handle of the metal cane.
"You're the reason Lisa, Darcy and their kids were taken."
"Seriously?!" Connor asked.
"Yeah," Jeff said. "If you two hadn't pissed Sam off…."
"Say one more word and you're both fired," Lisa warned.
"What's the word on the new guy?" Diego asked. Kenny and Jeff turned to look at the young man and Jeff turned back to look at Diego.
"Eric's cool. He grew up in Dallas. Worked on his granddaddy's ranch. Doesn't drink or smoke," Jeff said.
"Hunh," Diego said as he wrapped his fingers around the handle of the metal cane and he limped toward the young man. Eric Sawyer watched him walking closer when Diego stopped in front of him and they locked eyes. "Hey."
"Hello," Eric said.
"I'm Diego. Diego Walker."
"Jeff told me about you. You're the boss."
"Yeah. But Jeff's in charge until the doctors say I can go back to work."
"Ok," Eric said with a nod.
"He said you're from Dallas."
"Born and raised."
"You worked on your granddaddy's ranch?"
"Ever since I could ride."
"Why did you leave?"
"He lost the ranch."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Yeah. Granddaddy loved that place."
"Jeff and Kenny giving you any lip?"
"Nothing I can't handle."
Diego scanned Eric with his eyes and Diego grinded the end of the metal cane into the dirt.
"Diego!" Annie called out and he slowly turned to look at her then he looked at Eric.
"See you around," Diego said then he headed for Annie. He stopped in front of her as he looked at the farmhouse and Annie noticed the look on his face. She knew when he was angry and he shook his head. "Not here."
"Let's get you guys inside," Lisa said.
"Where are the kids?" Darcy asked.
"They're inside with their mom," Jeff said, looking at Connor and Murphy.
"I hope you've been nice t'her," Murphy said.
"Had to. She's scary," Kenny said and Murphy and Connor smiled.
Lisa, Darcy and Annie led Connor, Murphy and Diego to the stairs as they went upstairs and Annie went to open the screen door. She shooed the gray wolf back as she opened the screen door and they went inside. Diego reached down to pat the top of the gray wolf's head and he smiled.
"Someone's glad t'see you," Annabelle said as she and the kids headed down the hallway and Chandler and Peter ran to Connor. They carefully slid their arms around his waist as he rubbed the back of their heads and they smiled up at him.
"Papa!" Nichole called out as she ran to Murphy and she wrapped her arms around his lower legs.
"I can't walk if you're holdin' onto my legs," Murphy said with a grin. Mark walked closer when he carefully slid his arms around Murphy's waist and Murph rubbed the back of Mark's head.
"Let's get you upstairs," Annabelle said and Connor, Murphy and Diego looked at the staircase, each other and they frowned.
"Uh…," Diego said.
"Can't we stay down here?" Connor asked.
"Aye. Even thininkin' about goin' upstairs makes me tired," Murphy said.
"Move!" she said as she pointed to the staircase. Sighing, they slowly followed her up the stairs while Annie, Lisa and Darcy walked behind them and they went down the hallway.
"Uh… Ma? Where have you been sleepin'?" Connor asked.
"Yer room."
"Where am I supposed t'sleep?"
"Murphy's room."
"We moved one of the spare beds out of the attic and set it up in his room," Lisa said.
"You can fit two beds in there?" Murphy asked when they came to the door to his bedroom and he noticed they had moved his bed closer to the window. "Hunh."
"Well… It's not like we never shared a room before," Connor said with a grin and he headed for the bed on the right. Murphy headed for the bathroom when he walked inside and Darcy stood in the doorway. She flicked the switch to turn on the light and he turned to look at her.
"Are you gonna watch me piss?" Murphy asked.
"Nope," Darcy said as she turned and he softly laughed. She leaned on the doorframe when she heard him peeing then washing his hands and she turned around. "Well?"
"All clear," he said as she moved closer and lightly kissed his lips. They left the bathroom after she turned off the light as he walked to the bed on the left and Connor headed for the bathroom. Connor went inside the bathroom as Lisa leaned on the doorframe, flicked the switch to turn on the light and he glanced at her.
"Turn around," Connor said and she nodded then turned around. She waited as she heard him pee then wash his hands and he walked to her. She turned around as she smiled and he winked at her. "All clear."
They headed back in the bedroom after she turned off the light as he headed for the bed on the right and Annabelle stood between the beds.
"Go on," Annabelle said and the twins got in bed. She moved the bedding up as Darcy and Lisa smiled at each other and Annabelle lightly kissed the tops of Connor and Murphy's heads. She headed for the door as she left the bedroom and Lisa and Darcy walked to the bed.
"I wanna go downstairs," Connor grumbled while Lisa removed the sling from his left forearm and she placed the sling on the night table. She sat on the edge of the bed and he frowned.
"Me, too," Murphy grumbled while his lower lip stuck out and Darcy removed the sling from his left forearm and placed the sling on the night table. She sat down on the edge of the bed and Murphy smiled when Ebony hopped onto the bed and went to settle on the pillow next to the pillow Murphy was sitting against.
"He's been sleeping on your pillow since you've in the hospital," Darcy said and Murphy gently scratched the cat's ears.
"Look… If you two take a small nap then you can come downstairs for dinner, ok?" Lisa asked
"Fine," Connor said with a sigh and Chandler, Mark, Peter and Nichole walked in the room. They were holding onto some plastic bags and Chandler and Peter walked to Connor's bed. "Is that fer me?"
"Yeah," Peter said while he carefully climbed on the bed and sat next to Connor. Chandler stood next to the bed when he handed the plastic bag to Connor. Lisa helped Connor remove the comic books, jujitsu magazines and movie magazines and he smiled.
"How did you know I liked these magazines?" Connor asked.
"We saw some on the coffee table in the family room," Peter said.
"And Miss Annie said they were yours," Chandler added.
"Thanks," Connor said and they fist bumped.
Murphy watched Nichole carefully climbed on the bed as she went to sit next to him and he smiled at her.
"Guess that's fer me," Murphy said while Mark walked to the bed and handed him the plastic bag. Darcy helped Murphy remove the comic books, motorcycle magazines and art magazines and he looked at Nichole and Mark. "How did you know I liked these?"
"I saw some on the coffee table and Miss Annie said they were yours," Mark said.
"Thanks," he said and they fist bumped.
"Papa? Can we look at one of these?" Nichole asked as she picked up one of the motorcycle magazines.
"Sure," Murphy said and she carefully snuggled down next to his right side. Ebony had hopped off the bed and went to sit on the windowsill and Murphy gave the cat an apologetic look. Murphy slid his right arm around Nichole when he opened the motorcycle magazine and they looked at the photographs of the motorcycles.
Lisa pointed toward the door as she, Darcy and the boys left the room and Connor glanced over at his brother before he closed his eyes and a grin spread across his face.
Down the hallway, Annie helped Diego into bed as she covered him with the bedding and the gray wolf carefully hopped onto the bed before settling next to Diego.
"Sorry. I think he thinks you're in his spot," Annie teased as she sat on the edge of the bed and Diego softly scratched the gray wolf's head. She noticed the serious look on his face and Diego looked up at the ceiling. "What's wrong?"
"It's that Eric guy," Diego said.
"What about him?"
"He's FBI."
"He's FBI?!"
"Don't you think it was odd that he just happened to show up? It took us months to find someone to replace the guys we caught stealing shit."
"Guess word got around that we needed help."
"Tell me something. Has he been asking a lot of questions? Not about the ranch. About me. About Connor and Murphy."
"Uh…."
"Has he come into the house or been snooping around the ranch?"
"Um…."
"Has any of the guys seen him going into my old room in the bunkhouse or Hank's old room?"
"Kenny saw him going in there. He said he thought they were his room."
"Has he been following you, Lisa or Darcy around or volunteering to go places with you?"
"Uh…."
"He's FBI."
Annie got up when she left the room just as the boys headed into the bedroom. Diego watched the boys walking closer and Chandler had a plastic bag in his hands.
"That for me?" Diego said and Chandler handed him the plastic bag. He helped Diego take the comic books, hunting magazines and car magazines and Diego smiled. "Thanks."
The boys left the room as Diego looked toward the window and a strong sense of anger moved through him.
Outside, Eric was heading for the bunkhouse when he heard someone calling his name and he saw Lisa and Annie walking closer.
"Do you need me for something?" Eric asked.
"We need you to tell us the truth," Lisa said.
"About what?"
"You showed up shortly after my fiancé and brothers ended up in the hospital, right?" Annie asked.
"So?"
"Who told you we needed help?" Lisa asked.
"I told you. This guy at the Daisy's diner."
"You remember the guy's name?" Annie asked and he looked at her.
"What is this about?"
"It's about the FBI wanting to keep an eye on my brothers. So… Come clean. Are you FBI?"
"No!"
"Look. If we are wrong then I'm sorry. But we really need to know the truth," Lisa said.
Eric looked at them then at his feet and sighed.
"Tell Agent Bloom we said hi the next time you report in," Annie said as she and Lisa walked away and Eric growled as he balled his hands into fists. Sighing, he headed for the bunkhouse and the door closed behind him after he opened the door and went inside.
Houston – FBI Headquarters
Eunice walked down the hallway while the high heels of her shoes clicked on the tile flooring and she stopped in front of the door to her office.
"Agent Bloom?" made her turn and she watched the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes walking closer.
"Hello, Sir," Eunice said.
"I wanted to talk with you."
"About what? Has Agent Smecker been released?" she asked and he heard the fear in her voice.
"No. He is still incarcerated."
Eunice opened the door to her office as they walked inside and she closed the door. She watched the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes walked to the chair sitting in front of the desk. He sat down and she walked to the desk. She sat on the high back chair and she folded her hands on the top of the desk.
"How can I help you?" Eunice asked.
"I heard there was a little trouble with Agent Walker and the Saints after they left the hospital," the man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes said.
"Yes. They didn't know we were escorting them home."
"Weren't they told by the agents who were guarding them?"
"No offense, Sir. But those assholes left their posts."
"They what?!"
"According to Agent Walker and the Saints, their guards left shortly after breakfast."
"Do they know why their guards left?"
"They didn't mention why. Just that they left."
"And there was no replacement for the agents guarding them?"
"No. According to Agent Walker and the Saints? They were left on their own for the rest of the day."
"Which means anything could have happened to them."
"Yes, Sir."
"What about later on?"
"They left the hospital. We moved in to escort them, but they took off after spotting us."
"I would have done the same."
"We had to chase them for several blocks until we were able to cut off their escape. They exited their vehicle and…"
"And that is when the agents drew their weapons."
"I told them to stand down, but they refused to lower their weapons."
"Then what happened?"
"I talked to Agent Walker and the Saints and that is when I learned they had been left on their own."
"How did they act while you were talking?"
"They were really pissed off."
"I don't blame them."
"Once I got everyone to calm down, and got the agents to lower their weapons, we got into our vehicles and we escorted Agent Walker and the Saints home."
"Did you tell them about the agent we assigned to keep an eye on them?"
"You assigned an agent to their home?"
"It's just a precaution."
"Do you expect them to make a run for it?"
"No…. But men like them tend to go back to their old lives at some point."
"I don't think so. Agent Walker was retired when Agent Smecker blackmailed us into helping him. As for the Saints? I think this was a wake-up call."
"Do you mean they're retired as well?"
"Maybe," she said then paused. "Sir? What about those agents who left them at the hospital?"
"I assure you I will have this incident investigated."
"Thank you, Sir," she said and he stood. The man with white hair peppered with gray and brown hair and hard blue eyes walked to the door when he opened the door then turned to look at her. "Is there anything else?"
"No," he said then closed the door and Eunice sat back in the high back chair.
"What aren't you telling me?" she whispered and she strummed the fingers of her right hand on the top of the desk.
Houston – Eunice's apartment
The door opened while Eunice walked inside and she flipped the switch to turn on the lights. She closed the door as she headed for the kitchenette and she placed the mail on the kitchen counter. She went to make dinner and, a short time later, she placed the plate, silverware, napkin and wineglass of white wine on the kitchen table. Sitting down, she started eating when she thought back to what happened and she placed the fork on the plate.
"Why do I have the feeling I'm being left out of the loop?" she grumbled as the cellphone on the coffee table made a soft buzzing sound and she got up. She walked to the couch when she picked the cellphone off the coffee table. She sat on the couch when she pushed the button and the screen on the cellphone clicked on. She saw the text button was flashing and she tapped the screen.
Hey, Blondie.
Hey, Deadman.
Is that my new nickname?
Yep. How are you?
Getting there.
How are our friends?
They're good. Sorry about earlier.
That was our fault not yours.
Got any idea why our guards left their post?
Not yet.
Did you tell anyone about what happened?
I told my boss.
Smecker?!
"Oh shit. He doesn't know," she whispered and she typed on the screen.
Smecker's no longer in the picture.
She waited, but she noticed the screen had gone blank and she knew he was deleting the texts.
"Damn," she said as she placed the cellphone on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch cushion. The cellphone made a soft buzzing sound as she sat forward and she picked up the cellphone. She noticed the text button was blinking after she pushed the button and she wondered if she should answer the text. Sighing, she pushed the button and she looked at the screen.
Thanks! I just had to give him something to calm down! Knew you were playing us! Don't ever contact us again.
Eunice read the text a few times when the screen went black and she knew the text was being deleted. She placed the cellphone on the coffee table as she sighed and pounded her right fist on the couch cushion.
The Golden Cactus Ranch
The screen door opened while Diego, the grey wolf, Connor and Murphy slowly walked outside and Diego closed the screen door. They stood on the porch as Connor arched back the white straw cowboy hat and Murphy adjusted the sling strap over his right shoulder.
"Ready?" Diego asked and they nodded. They slowly and carefully headed down the stairs then walked down the path and the gray wolf walked next to Diego.
"Who's that guy?" Connor asked when he saw Eric near a black pickup truck and he was placing a backpack in the back of the black pickup truck.
"That's the FBI agent they assigned to keep an eye on us," Diego said.
"How do you know he's FBI?"
"Just a gut feeling. Turns out I was right."
"Where's he goin'?" Murphy asked.
"Let's go find out."
They headed for the black pickup truck as Eric turned to look at them and his eyes slightly widened.
"Hey," Diego said.
"Hey," Eric said.
"Who're you?" Connor asked with the surfer accent.
"I'm Eric. Eric Sawyer."
"I'm Connor. That's Murphy," he said as he nodded to Murphy.
"Nice to meet you."
"Where are you going?" Diego asked.
"I'm going home."
"Did Lisa fire you?"
"Nope. Just feel like it's time to leave."
"You sure that's a good idea? Wouldn't your bosses get pissed off?" Connor asked and Eric frowned.
"What?"
"Cut the bullshit. We know you're FBI," Diego said.
Eric looked from one to the other as he sighed then he leaned against the side of the black pickup truck. He looked down at his feet for a few seconds with his arms crossed over his chest and Connor adjusted his hold on the handle of the metal cane. Eric looked up when he sighed and he pushed off the side of the black pickup truck.
"How'd you figure it out?" Eric asked.
"Turns out you're not good at your job. You kept trying to get into the farmhouse and were seen snooping around. You even went into my old room in the bunkhouse and Hank's old room," Diego said.
"Shit."
"Why did you want to get into the house?" Connor asked with the surfer accent.
"I think you can drop the accent."
"I think he wanted t'place bugs in th'house an' install surveillance cameras," Murphy said.
"You watch too many action movies," Eric said with a sigh.
"I would have done that," Diego said.
"You would?"
"Didn't you know? He used t'be FBI," Connor said.
Eric pressed his lips into a thin line and Diego moved from one foot to the other.
"Let's go sit over there," Diego said as he nodded his head toward the stairs leading to the bunkhouse and they headed for the stairs. They carefully sat down on the stairs while Eric stood in front of them and the gray wolf settled down next to Murphy. Eric looked from one to the other when he sighed and he lightly shook his head. "So… Why did you volunteer to spy on us?"
"I know how to take care of cows," Eric said.
"Annie told me you grew up on a ranch."
"My granddaddy had a ranch. He lost it when the banks closed on his lease."
"Why would they do that?" Connor asked.
"The usual. His ranch was in the line of a new offramp."
"Didn't he go to court to stop it?" Diego asked.
"He tried, but the judge sided with the bank."
Connor and Murphy locked eyes as they had a silent conversation and Diego noticed the anger in their eyes.
"Guys…," Diego said and they looked at him. "Retired. Remember?"
"Yeah," Connor said and Murphy nodded.
"What do you mean retired?" Eric asked.
"It means we don't take down scumbags like those bankers anymore," Connor explained.
"But….? Isn't that your job?"
"I guess nearly dyin' changed our minds."
"An' we have more important things t'do," Murphy said.
"More important things?" Eric asked.
"Like lookin' after this place. Bein' with th'people we care about. An' just livin' our lives th'best we can,' Connor said.
"You sound like my granddaddy," Eric said with a grin.
"Did you look up t'him?" Murphy asked.
"Hell yeah. He taught my dad, uncles, brothers and I everything we know."
"What happened to him?" Diego asked.
"He died from cancer three years ago."
"Did you always want to be an FBI agent?"
"Yeah. Liked watching cop shows and detective shows on tv. Granddaddy thought I was wasting my time. But he was really proud of me when I became an agent."
"How long are you supposed t'be here?" Connor asked.
"For as long as it takes."
"You don't sound like you're too happy about it."
"I'm not."
"Can't you ask fer a new assignment?" Murphy asked.
"He might get one now that his cover's blown," Connor said.
"No one knows it's been blown," Eric said.
"You really think they're not using listenin' devices t'hear what we're talkin' about?"
"Shit," Eric said with a sigh.
"Guess there's only one thing you can do," Diego said while Eric helped him to his feet and Diego held onto the handle of the metal cane. "You have to quit."
"Quit the FBI?" Eric asked as he helped Connor and Murphy to their feet. "And do what?"
"What you're doing here. We need another ranch hand and Jeff and Kenny tell me you're good at your job."
"Th'only condition is you don't lie t'us ever again," Connor said and Eric though for a few seconds.
"Deal," Eric said as they shook hands then watched him unload his things from the back of the black pickup truck.